Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Erling (Bud) Albert Lange 1921-1995

Erling Albert Lange (called Bud) was born May 26, 1921 in Grand Rapids, Itasca, Minnesota. He was a lifelong resident of the Grand Rapids area. He attended school in the Greenway School District and graduated as valedictorian of the Greenway High School Class of 1939. He served in the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was an Army veteran of World War II serving in Europe with the 66th Armored Infantry (under General Patton) and was awarded the Purple Heart. He worked for several years at Itasca Tire in Grand Rapids and was co-owner and operator of Itasca TV and Appliance for many years. He also worked for Dairyland Electric in Grand Rapids, retiring in 1987. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club of Grand Rapids. He died Wednesday, May 10, 1995, at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth, Minnesota.

Bud Lange was married the first time to Dolores Margaret Kretsch, she was born December 26, 1925 in New Ulm, Minnesota. They were married about 1944 in Grand Rapids, Itasca Minnesota, and they were divorced in 1950.

Many of the grandkids have fond memories of Bud and his famous House Boat the Suzie-Q. He would take us fishing, on great picnics, camping and swimming during the summer months. It was on one of these trips in June 1965 when there was a terrible boating accident and five people drowned on Pokegama Lake in Grand Rapids, Itasca, Minnesota. The accident took the lives of George Lange, his wife Wanda and son Robert. Also Calvin Lange and his girlfriend Joyce Ottison drowned in this horrible accident.

Bud Lange was married the second time to Evie (called Evelyn) Schack, she was born February 6, 1948 in Grand Rapids, Itasca Minnesota. She graduated from Grand Rapids High School in 1966 and moved to Minneapolis immediately thereafter, but returned to the small town she loved after only a couple of years. She met Bud when she was a waitress at Soder's Diner, and they married in January 1971. After several years as a waitress, Evie transitioned into office work, starting as a secretary. She and Bud divorced in 1980, and she moved to Washington, in 1984. She became an accountant, which she pursues today.

She married Ted in 1988, and they currently live in the state of Washington, where they enjoy all the benefits of living at the coast in a small, quiet community, not unlike Grand Rapids, Itasca, Minnesota.

My Sources are from my database, birth, marriage, and death certificates and information from several cousins.